The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3 eBook

“Bhishma continued, ’The Chandala, having
said these words unto Kusika’s son, became silent.
Viswamitra then, of cultivated understanding, took
away that haunch of dog’s meat. The great
ascetic having possessed himself of that piece of
dog’s meat for saving his life, took it away
into the woods and wished with his wife to eat it.
He resolved that having first gratified the deities
according to due rites, he should then eat that haunch
of dog’s meat at his pleasure. Igniting
a fire according to the Brahma rites, the ascetic,
agreeably to those rites that go by the name of Aindragneya,
began himself to cook that meat into sacrificial Charu.
He then, O Bharata, began the ceremonies in honour
of the gods and the Pitris, by dividing that Charu
into as many portions as were necessary, according
to the injunctions of the scriptures, and by invoking
the gods with Indra at their head (for accepting their
shares). Meanwhile, the chief of the celestials
began to pour copiously. Reviving all creatures
by those showers, he caused plants and herbs to grow
once more. Viswamitra, however, having completed
the rites in honour of the gods and the Pitris and
having gratified them duly, himself ate that meat.
Burning all his sins afterwards by his penances, the
sage, after a long time, acquired the most wonderful
(ascetic) success. Even thus, when the end in
view is the preservation of life itself, should a high-souled
person possessed of learning and acquainted with means
rescue his own cheerless self, when fallen into distress,
by all means in his power. By having recourse
to such understanding one should always preserve one’s
life. A person, if alive, can win religious merit
and enjoy happiness and prosperity. For this
reason, O son of Kunti, a person of cleansed soul
and possessed of learning should live and act in this
world, relying upon his own intelligence in discriminating
between righteousness and its reverse.’”

SECTION CXLII

“Yudhishthira said, ’If that which is
so horrible and which like falsehood should never
be an object of regard, be cited (as duty), then what
act is there from which I should forbear? Why
also should not robbers then be respected? I
am stupefied! My heart is pained! All the
ties that bind me to morality are loosened! I
cannot tranquillise my mind and venture to act in
the way suggested by you.’

“Bhishma said, ’I do not instruct thee
in respect of duty, taught by what I have heard from
the Vedas alone. What I have told thee is the
result of wisdom and experience. This is the
honey that the learned have gathered. Kings should
gather wisdom from various sources. One cannot
accomplish his course through the world with the aid
of a morality that is one-sided. Duty must spring
from the understanding; and the practices of those
that are good should always be ascertained, O son of
Kuru! Attend to these words of mine. Only
kings that are possessed of superior intelligence